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[[underlined]] COPY [[/underlined]]

September 20, 1948

Dear Mr. Brown:

Pursuant to our telephone conversation of this morning, you will take delivery on September 22, 1948 of two large marble statues at the Manhattan Storage & Warehouse Co., 7th Avenue and 52nd Street, New York City, together with their bases and a small case containing the hands of one of the statues, for shipment by your own truck to the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, Albright Art Gallery, Delaware Park, Buffalo, New York, leaving Thursday, September 23, 1948 (both dates subject to our confirmation) at such time, to ensure arrival in Buffalo at a reasonable early hour the same day.

You will place these statues, which you will realize are extremely delicate and valuable, in an upright position on your van wripped with protective paddings and blankets, the whole securely lashed to the truck. Special attention must be given to the heads, hands, and other vulnerable parts so that they are at no time subject to the least strain. The lashings themselves have to be tied in such a manner that they will never rub against any exposed parts of the objects. Your drivers are to be instructed to examine at reasonably spaced intervals the condition of these works of art, and in case additional padding and/or lashings should become necessary, to carry some extras.

We rely upon you to entrust this despatch to your two most reliable and trustworthy men. Please also instruct them to phone the writer immediately should any mishap occur while on route and also, at all events, to communicate with him after delivery is made at the museum:

OFFICE PHONE PLAZA 3-0250
APARTMENT PHONE: TRAFALGAR 7-7562

While in Buffalo, have your men keep in contact with the museum for further instructions – whether or not the statues will remain there and/or in the alternative, whether they are to be returned to us.

In case they should be returned to us, they must attend (together with the museum employees) to the reloading of the statues on the truck, and be sure they will be as carefully packed and handled as on the way to Buffalo.

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